Musicians Who Died in 2016

It seems that all we do is write about the musicians and singers that passed away in 2016. What made the death of Debbie Reynolds so tragic, is that her daughter, Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia from Star Wars), died just days before
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Salute to Sunnyland Slim
Barrelhouse Chuck
Nominally a tribute to the late, great Mississippi barroom piano player, this is actually a keyboard-powered homage to the spirit of Chicago blues. Chuck--a Florida transplant to the Windy City
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Shocking news, Keith Emerson, the ‘Emerson’ keyboardist in Emerson, Lake, and Palmer committed suicide by gunshot to the head, at the age of 71. According to tmz.com, he was suffering from depression.
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All Daddy Cool's red-hot classics are on this stellar collection. From the incomparable 'Eagle Rock' to the classic 'Come Back Again' through to 'Hi Honey Ho' & ' Zoop Bop Gold Cadillac', this album captures the Cool at their coolest.
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Notable names:

Debbie Reynolds (28 Dec 2016):
What made the death of Debbie Reynolds so tragic, is that her daughter, Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia from Star Wars), died just days before Reynolds’ passing.
Reynolds’ first leading role was as Kathy Selden in Singin’ in the Rain, holding her own against Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor.
Musically, Reynold’s song ‘Tammy’ reached #1 on the music charts, and by 1959, she released her first album called Debbie.
Reynolds eventually became a cabaret performer... and although retired from the stage, she still operates her Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio in North Hollywood and own a hotel in Las Vegas.

George Michael (25 Dec 2016): BBC news confirmed that legendary rock star George Michael is dead. His publicist said, “It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period. The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage.”

Like many of you, I grew up listening to Wham!, and their ‘Last Christmas’ song is a staple on radio for many years around this time of the year. My very first cassette I ever bought was for George Michael’s solo album Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1 (there was never a volume 2), purchased for $7.99 at the Wherehouse Record Store in Fresno. I no longer own the tape, but I used to listen to it all the time, particularly for Side A, which included ‘Playing For Time’ and ‘Freedom! ‘90’. The record didn’t do that well against his solo debut Faith, which had two massive hit songs ‘Faith’ and the overly sexual ‘I Want Your Sex’. Although the sex thing sold, Michael did somewhat regret it, later addressing it in ‘Freedom! ‘90’ with the lyrics, “Posing for another picture, everybody's got to sell. But when you shake your ass they notice fast. Some mistakes were built to last.”
Needless to say, George Michael, you will be missed.

Red Army Choir (25 Dec 2016):
Thanks to reader Katarina for mentioning that the entire Red Army Choir (64 members) has died from a plane crash over the Black Sea. The group was travelling on a Russian military plane to perform for troops.
The initial Reuters report lists Russian time zone (so early morning December 26th) and mentioned President Vladimir Putin, speaking in St Petersburg, declared Dec. 26 as national day of mourning.

Bunny Walters (14 Dec 2016):
Maori singer Bunny Walters has died today (December 14th in New Zealand’s time zone) at the Waikato Hospital after a short illness, according to nzherald.co.nz. Walters was 63.
Bunny Walters was best known in New Zealand for his hit singles ‘Brandy’, ‘Nearest Thing to Heaven’ and ‘Take the Money and Run’.

Barrelhouse Chuck (12 Dec 2016): Chicago’s Barrelhouse Chuck has died at the age of 58 to prostate cancer. The Chicago Tribute reports: “Barrelhouse Chuck was one of the last links to a majestic lineage of Chicago blues, and his death Monday afternoon, at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, ends one of the more remarkable stories in the city's blues culture. He was 58 and died of complications from prostate cancer, said Betsy Goering, his wife.”

Emerson, Lake & Palmer (07 Dec 2016): Greg Lake, of Emerson, Lake & Palmer and King Crimson, has died of cancer at the age of 69, according to bbc.com. What is tragic is that keyboardist Keith Emerson died earlier this year at the age of 71, to a suicide gunshot to the head.
Only drummer Carl Palmer is alive from the trio.

The Business (01 Dec 2016):
Micky Fitz, the frontman for the English Oi! band The Business (not to be confused with J.Roddy Walston and the Business), has died of cancer in December 1, 2016.
The band’s official statement listed "after a long battle with cancer".

The Business' statement: "It is with the deepest regret that Daddy Cool announce the passing this morning of our wonderful friend and bass player Wayne Duncan at 72 after a short illness. Our condolences to his partner Anne and his daughters Catherine and Justine who have requested privacy at this time. R.I.P. brother Wayne."

Infected / Art of Death
Atrocity
First off you're getting 2 full lengths on 1 disc with this "Best Of" compilation (Infected + The Art Of Death). That in itself is a helluva deal.
Next you're getting grade A, high quality death metal/grindcore.
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As the movie's theme song, "Everybody Knows" by Leonard Cohen plays over the opening credit, you get a glimpse of Hunter's "underground" bands on cassette tapes: The Jesus and Mary Chain
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Notable names:

Ray Columbus (29 Nov 2016):
Thanks to reader Phil B who told us that has died today (29 Nov 2016). The New Zealand singer is best known for Ray Columbus & the Invaders’s ‘She’s A Mod’ (a cover of The Senator).

Atrocity (US) (27 Nov 2016): Atrocity’s drummer Jeff White (not to be confused with alt-country folk singer) has died. Like you, I was confusing this US-based band with Germany’s Atrocity. Doing a quick check, I can tell you that this Torrington, CT, band started a full three years before the German band with a demo tape in 1985. Subsequently releasing Infected in 1990 and The Art of Death! in 1992. The US band broke up in 1993, but reformed in 2006 and released Let War Rage in 2009 via Mad Lion Records. Jeff White died at his home and was only 54.

Do or Die (27 Nov 2016):
Also, Chicago’s Johnny P of Do Or Die has... died. We previously mentioned him because of a similar Nashville artist called Jonny P (note: no “h”). The singer’s death was confirmed by Johnny’s eldest daughter earlier this week (November 27th).

Inspiral Carpets (22 Nov 2016): Inspiral Carpets recently announced the death of their drummer, Craig Gill. He was 44.
The band’s official statement:
It’s with heavy hearts that we announce the death of our drummer and close friend, Craig Gill.
We are all absolutely devastated by the news. Craig was our brother.
We were honoured to work alongside him for the last 30 years.
To say we’ll miss him is an understatement.

Sharon Jones (18 Nov 2016): Sharon Jones, singer of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, has died after a battle with cancer.
The official press statement reads "We are deeply saddened to announce that Sharon Jones has passed away after a heroic battle against pancreatic cancer. She was surrounded by her loved ones, including the Dap-Kings.
Thank you for your prayers and thoughts during this difficult time."

Leonard Cohen (07 Nov 2016): It is with a heavy heart that we announce that poet, singer, songwriter, novelist, Leonard Cohen has died at the age of 82. Adam Cohen, his son, said: “My father passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles with the knowledge that he had completed what he felt was one of his greatest records. He was writing up until his last moments with his unique brand of humor.”

Young fans not familiar with Cohen’s hit ‘Everybody Knows’ from 1990’s Pump Up the Volume ... may have heard his incredibly wonderful song ‘Nevermind’ on HBO’s True DetectiveSeason 2.

Bobby Vee (24 Oct 2016): If you know us, you know we are massive Bobby Vee fans. We wrote about him in 2013: “My favorite all-time Bobby Vee song is "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes", which was the title track to his 1963 album. The "Thousand Eyes" might refer to the stars, watching over the "runaround lover". Although it is a pop song, it doesn't sound like the usual songs of that time period. A really good example can be found in the movie Dark City, which Anita Kelsey (lip-synced by Jennifer Connelly) sings "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" as a classic jazz standard.”

Bobby Vee is dead at the age of 73.

Dead Or Alive (23 Oct 2016): Sadly, if you have to ask, Dead or Alive? The answer is that singer Pete Burns is now dead, at the age of 57 to cardiac arrest. 80’s music fans will know Dead Or Alive’s massive hit song, You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)’. Incredibly catchy! It’s sad to hear of Burns’ passing.

This Mortal Coil (04 Oct 2016):
Caroline Crawley, singer of Shelleyan Orphan and guest singer of This Mortal Coil (on the album Blood) ... she, well... has left this mortal coil.

Lighter Shade of Brown was a great hip-hop duo and had so much soul and warmth to their sound. I've listened to all their albums and this is their most consistent work by far. MCs ODM & DTTX
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Notable names:

Shawty Lo (21 Sep 2016):
Rapper Shawty Lo (real name Carlos Walker, from D4L) died on early Wednesday (September 21st) morning from a car crash with two trees in Atlanta. He was reportedly ejected from his 2016 Audi. He was 40.
What made Lo’s death so tragic was that his father died just recently (September 6th) to a sudden heart attack.

Sugarloaf (16 Sep 2016):
Sugarloaf’s singer Jerry Corbetta died on September 16th as a result of Pick’s disease, according to ultimateclassicrock.com. He was 68.
The Pick’s disease is similar to Alzheimer’s disease, which lowly destroys the nerve cells in the brain.

Force MD’s (16 Sep 2016):
Also Trisco Pearson from the 80s group Force MD’s (formerly known as Force MC’s) died on September 16 to Stage 4 cancer. The group was known for their mid-80s hit ‘Tender Love’ and ‘Love Is a House’ via Tommy Boy Records.

Qiao “Kimi” Renliang (13 Sep 2016):
Chinese singer-turned-actor Qiao “Kimi” Renliang committed suicide at his home at the age of 28 on September 13th. He struggled with depression for many years. With 24 films under his belt (within 8 years and a new one Days of Our Own set to open weeks within his death), he was a successful actor with consistent work.

Clifford Curry (07 Sep 2016):
“The King of Beach Music”, Clifford Curry is dead at the age of 79. He is best known for his single ‘She Shot A Hole In My Soul’, released in 1967.
Curry began singing as a teenager with groups like The Five Pennies, The Echoes, Hollyhocks, and the Bubba Suggs Band, before embarking on a solo career in the mid-1960s.

A Lighter Shade of Brown (07 Sep 2016):
Rapper DTTX (aka Bobby Ramirez), from A Lighter Shade of Brown, died in early September from complications from heatstroke in July 2016. Ramirez was put on life support for 11 days, with his body temperature reaching 107 degrees, as reported by tmz.com.

Bob Bissonnette (04 Sep 2016):
Hockey player, turned singer, Roberto Bissonnette (who billed under Bob Bissonnette), recently died in a helicopter crash with his pilot, Frederick Décoste. Bissonnette was 35.
According to witness Patti Gallie, who saw the accident, she said she saw the helicopter hit a power line and then crashed into the waters over the Restigouche River.

The night started with two opening bands- The Carnegies featuring the Mars brothers (Royce on drums, and Roman on bass) and Taylor Tolle on the guitar who played retro-fueled blues/psych rock
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Notable names:

3 Doors Down (20 Aug 2016):
Former 3 Doors Down’s guitarist Matt Roberts has died yesterday (August 20th) from an apparent overdose just outside Milwaukee at a charity event, according to tmz.com.
Roberts co-wrote one of 3 Doors Down’s biggest hit song ‘Kryptonite’, but the band in 2012 for health issues. He was 38 years old.

Architects (20 Aug 2016):
Also yesterday, metalcore Architects’ founding guitarist Tom Searle lost his life at the age of 28 to melanoma skin cancer. Tom’s twin brother Dan Searle wrote, “We want to carry on, that is important to say, and we will strive to do so, but we will not release any music unless we truly believe that it is something that Tom would have been proud of. Whether or not we can achieve that is something that we will have to discover in time.”
Note: Not to be confused with punk band The Architects, who we saw opened up for Agent Orange last Oct 2014.

Backstreet Boys (19 Aug 2016):
Lou Pearlman, the man who created ‘Nsync and Backstreet Boys has died at the age of 62 in prison on Friday night (August 19th) as he was serving a 25-year-sentence from a convicted Ponzi scheme, according to
tmz.com. The cause of death is not known.

Minnesota Orchestra (16 Aug 2016):
Closer to home, hornist Kendall Betts recently passed away at the age of 68 to cancer. Betts established the Betts Horn Camp (KBHC) in New Hampshire in 1994, a learning center for players and horn enthusiasts. According to canadianbrass.com, Betts joined Canadian Brass in 2004.

NIN (14 Aug 2016): keyboard player James Woolley died at the age of 49. Woolley was with NIN when they recorded one of their biggest hit album The Downward Spiral. The cause of death has not been release, but NIN’s
Trent Reznor talked to Rolling Stone about his death: “Terrible news regarding James. I hadn’t crossed paths with him for some time, but always thought of him fondly. He was a fun character to be around, a solid musician and a genuinely good guy. Those of us from that era of the band have been sharing ‘James’ stories ... lots of laughs and love and sadness. Wishing his family the very best.”
The Carnegies (14 Aug 2016):
Taylor Tolle, the singer and guitarist of The Carnegies, was killed (with his passenger Anjuli Kerlin) in a single-car crash on Interstate 90 in eastern South Dakota, according to startribune.com. Authorities have not explained why Tolle’s car rolled over, but it seemed like they were in a hurry to get to Sturgis, South Dakota, and wanted to “to make it there by sundown” according to Kerlin’s comment on Facebook.

The Limeliters (11 Aug 2016):
We had just learned that folk singer Glenn Yarbrough passed away at his home in Nashville on Thursday (August 11th) at the age of 86. Yarbrough was the founding member of one of the most successful folk group of the early ‘60s, The Limeliters.Fans of Breaking Bad may recall hearing The Limeliters’ ‘Take My True Love by the Hand’ on one of the most memorable episode ‘Ozymandias’. According to Rolling Stone, Yarbrough’s health was in decline starting in May 2016.

Ricci Martin (03 Aug 2016):
Dean Martin’s youngest son Ricci Martin (not to be confused with Ricky Martin) was found dead at his home in Utah at the age of 62.

August (42)

[31 Aug 2016] Raymond Daveluy, 89

[30 Aug 2016] Eleanor Barooshian (member of The Cake, singer with Jimi Hendrix), 66, not given

Reissue of the 1980 & second album by Martin Rev & Alan Vega's influential post-modern rock duo Suicide. Contains all of the tracks from the original
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Notable names:

Locomotiv GT (19 Jul 2016 / 06 Aug 2016):
Two members of the Hungarian rock band Locomotiv GT (abbreviated to LGT) died recently: drummer József Laux on August 6th at the age of 73 and bassist/vocalist Tamás Somló died in July 19th at the age of 68 to cancer.

Suicide (16 Jul 2016):
Singer Alan Vega of the duo Suicide died in his sleep on July 16th at the age of 78. His death was announced by his friend Henry Rollins.

Sally, joins us once again to talk more Britpop! Is there a britpopcast in the future?
Talks centers around Jarvis Cocker and Pulp, Suede.
Pulp started in 1978 …

Notable names:

Star Trek (19 June 2016): We were pretty shocked to find out that young actor Anton Yelchin, famous for portraying Pavel Chekov in Star Trek, was killed by his car! From what everyone is saying, his Jeep Grand Cherokee had a faulty shift, so he thought he put it in park - when, in fact, it was in neutral. The car slammed into an unsuspecting Yelchin at the bottom of the hill at the gate.
Before Yelchin became a star, he sang and played guitar in a punk band called The Hammerheads, aka The Hammerheads Hollywood (not to be confused with Minneapolis’ noise band Hammerhead or late 80s band The Hammerheads). The band was active from 2008 to 2011, when Yelchin confirmed that the band broke up in 2011.

Parliament-Funkadelic (24 June 2016): Parliament-Funkadelic’s keyboardist Bernie Worrell passed away at the age of 72 on June 24th.

The Stanley Brothers (23 June 2016):
The Stanley Brothers’ Ralph Stanley died at the age of 89 to skin cancer on June 23rd.

The Mar-Keys (21 June 2016):
Wayne Jackson passed away at the age of 74 to congestive heart failure on June 21st.

ZZ Top (18 June 2016):
ZZ Top’s manager Bill Ham died at the age of 79 on June 18th.

The Voice (18 June 2016):
The Mexican The Voice star Alejandro Jano Fuentes was murdered at the age of 45 on June 18th. This is disturbing, considering that The Voice’s star Christina Grimmie was also murdered some weeks ago.

P.M. Dawn (17 June 2016):
Prince Be (Attrell Cordes), half of P.M. Dawn, has died from kidney disease at the age of 46, according to tmz.com.

Christina Grimmie (10 June 2016):
The Voice star and YouTube sensation 22-year-old singer Christina Grimmie was murdered last night, during an autograph signing at The Plaza Live in Orlando, Florida. Grimmie’s brother Mark Grimmie (from the band Before You Exit) immediately tackled the unidentified gunman, who then shot and killed himself during the struggle. We previously caught Grimmie as opener to Selena Gomez in 2013. Although young at the time (19 years old) we wrote that she knew “know how to perform and work the crowd, particularly getting the audience to help her with ‘Absolutely Final Goodbye.’”

Muhammad Ali (03 June 2016):
Although boxer Muhammad Ali is not known for music, his boxing legacy, style, self-declared “The Greatest” and quotable catchphrase (“float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”) inspired musicians all over. A good solid listing can be seen on Wikipedia.com, which cited Johnny Wakelin & the Kinshasa Band (for their single ‘Black Superman (Muhammad Ali)’), Bob Dylan (for the song ‘I Shall be Free No. 10’), R. Kelly (for the song ‘World’s Greatest’) and LL Cool J (for his 1991 single ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’) among some of Ali’s biggest fans.

Double J (03 June 2016): The father of Jarvis Cocker (of Pulp), Mac Cocker recently passed away, according to doublej.net.au. Apparently Cocker was a radio DJ for Double J (currently owned by Triple J).

Fairport Convention (03 June 2016):
Dave Swarbrick of the English folk rock band Fairport Convention died at the age of 75 due to emphysema, according to theguardian.com. Universally known as Swarb, he played the fiddle in Fairport Convention. Swarbrick left Fairport in 1981 and in 1983, moved to Northamptonshire, and formed a new acoustic folk band, Whippersnapper.

Megadeth: That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires (Blu-Ray)
The not-so-secret secret in the music industry is that metal is huge. No, it's massive. But what is truly amazing is its popularity isn't from the
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One of the best live band Surfer Blood will be returning to Minneapolis for the 1000th time (in truth, probably their ninth time) in support of the band's third album 1000 Palms, out now on Joyful Noise.
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Notable names:

Surfer Blood (30 May 2016): Surfer Blood's guitarist Thomas Fekete was forced to leave the band in 2009 when he learned of his terminal cancer. Fekete passed away at the young age of 27, according to spin.com. We caught the band post-Fekete, with Art Brut in November 2009.

Megadeth (21 May 2016): Former Megadeth drummer Nick Menza passed away at the age of 51 to heart failure, while drumming with his band Ohm at the Baked Potato in Los Angeles (as reported by Megadeth guitarist’s Dave Mustaine).
Menza drummed on four of Megadeth's albums: Rust in Peace (1990), Countdown to Extinction (1992), Youthanasia (1994) and Cryptic Writings (1997).

The Beastie Boys (19 May 2016):
You might remember how we talked about the untimely death of MCA (Adam Yauch) of The Beastie Boys in 2012 ... now we’ve just learned that original band member John Berry (when they were known as The Young Aborigines) died of “frontotemporal dementia”.
Berry left the original hardcore punk group. Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz joined MCA and Mike D, and the now-trio re-invented themselves as a rap group we know as the Beastie Boys.

LiLiPUT (17 May 2016): Marlene Marder of the all-girls Swiss punk band LiLiPUT at the age of 61. The group formed in Zurich in 1978 under the name Kleenex, with a line-up of Regula Sing (vocals), Marlene Marder (Marlene Marti, guitar), Klaudia Schiff (Klaudia Schifferle, bass, vocals), and Lislot Ha (Lieselotte Hafner, drums). After threat of legal action from the tissue company Kleenex, the band changed their name to LiLiPUT in 1979.

Candye Kane (06 May 2016):
Blues/jazz singer Candye Kane also died earlier this month (May 6th) to pancreatic cancer. Kane was included in the books Rolling Stone Guide to Jazz and Blues, Elwood's Blues by Dan Aykroyd, The Blueshound Guide to Blues, Allmusic, and other blues books and periodicals. She was also a former a pornographic actress.

I had to explain the story behind Negativland to a friend recently, when I discovered the original U2 single in a CD collection. I told her that it was quite rare
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Notable names:

Prince (21 Apr 2016): Simply shocking. TMZ broke the story at 10am this morning, but I didn’t learn of his passing until noon. I just couldn’t believe it. There were signs of illness last Friday when Prince had to make an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois, and taken to the hospital. He downplayed his illness by appearing on stage at Paisley Park’s dance party on Saturday... ensuring fans that he was well. He is quoted as saying, “Wait a few days before you waste any prayers.”

Negativland (19 Apr 2016): Founder Richard Lyons (aka Pastor Dick) lost his battle with cancer on April 19th. To this day, I still have that rare U2 single that Negativland released (read all about it here).

Merle Haggard (06 Apr 2016): Country music legend Merle Haggard has passed away on his 79th birthday to double pneumonia, according to various news agencies. Prior to his death at his home near Redding, California, Haggard spent nearly two weeks in a Riverside hospital.

In case you haven't noticed, early next month mark The Beatles' 50th Anniversary in America. The two surviving Beatles members, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, will likely 'come together' on David Letterman …

Frank Sinatra’s son Frank Sinatra Jr (and Nancy Sinatra’s younger brother) died of a massive heart attack at the age of 72, according to tmz.com. Sinatra was set to play on Wednesday night (March 16th)
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Shocking news, Keith Emerson, the ‘Emerson’ keyboardist in Emerson, Lake, and Palmer committed suicide by gunshot to the head, at the age of 71. According to tmz.com, he was suffering from depression.
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SXSW 2015 is taking place March 17–22, 2015. We love this time of the year, as many bands heading down to Austin will likely stop in Minneapolis before or after the event. Keep up with more SXSW coverage at sxsw.weheartmusic.com. ....

Husband and wife duo Joey+Rory had never performed together before teaming up to audition for CMTs hit series, CAN YOU DUET, in early 2008-but you'd never know it. Bringing beautiful harmonies, top-notch songwriting
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Notable names:

A Tribe Called Quest (22 Mar 2016):
We recently learned that Phife Dawg passed away on Tuesday because of complications from diabetes. If you were a fan of 90s hip hop and rap, chances were you loved the trio (featuring Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad). The group, along with De La Soul, was a central part of the Native Tongues Posse.

Frank Sinatra Jr (16 Mar 2016): Frank Sinatra's son Frank Sinatra Jr (and Nancy Sinatra’s younger brother) died of a massive heart attack at the age of 72, according to tmz.com. Sinatra was set to play on Wednesday night (March 16th) in Los Angeles, but after feeling unwell, canceled the Peabody Auditorium show. After checking into Halifax Medical Center, he suffered a heart attack at the hospital.

Emerson, Lake, and Palmer (11 Mar 2016): Shocking news, Keith Emerson, the ‘Emerson’ keyboardist in committed suicide by gunshot to the head, at the age of 71. According to tmz.com, he was suffering from depression.

SXSW (10 Mar 2016):
Also with SXSW kicking off this week, it’s with sad news that we announce that SXSW co-founder Louis Meyers has died at the age of 60. The cause of death is not known, according to abcnews.go.com.

The Beatles (08 Mar 2016): “The Fifth Beatle” Sir George Martin passed away, the news broke a few hours ago, according to Ringo Starr’s Twitter account... Beatles should be familiar with Martin’s work, as he is involved with most (if not all) of the Beatles’ albums. He’s one of the greatest record producers of all time, scoring 30 #1 hits in the UK and 23 #1 in the US.

Harvey Danger (06 Mar 2016): We had just learned that Harvey Danger’s founding bassist Aaron Huffman died yesterday to “respiratory failure”, according to thestranger.com; he was only 43.
As you know, we love their song “Flagpole Sitta”, which featured the catchy, singalong line of “I'm not sick, but I'm not well! And I'm so hot, 'cause I'm in hell!” You can listen to the song here.

Joey + Rory (04 Mar 2016): Joey Feek, one half of husband-wife duo Joey + Roy, died at the age of 40 to cervical cancer.
The duo was third place on CMT's Can You Duet in 2008, but they didn’t walk away empty-handed. They got signed to Sugar Hill/Vanguard Records and released seven studio albums. The news of Joey’s death wasn’t as shocking, because her husband actually blogged about the whole ordeal. They had discovered the cancer in June 2015 and they knew it was terminal. She lived long enough to see her daughter’s second birthday in February 2016, and passed away on Wednesday (March 4th).

Bankroll Fresh (04 Mar 2016): Bankroll Fresh (or sometime Yung Fresh), was shot multiple times at Street Execs Studio (according to police, over 50 shells were collected from the scene). As of this writing, there are no motives and no arrests made.

In February, we got a couple of young people’s deaths, Alt Press passed along a note that Valleys’ Mikey Clement died in a car accident at the age of 23 on the morning of February 5th.
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Notable names:

Vanity (15 Feb 2016): We just learned that Prince’s protégé Vanity (real name Denise Katrina Matthews), singer of Vanity 6, has died today (Monday) from sclerosis encapsulating peritonitis (an inflammation of the small intestines). According to TMZ, who broke the story, she underwent daily dialysis treatments as a result of failed kidneys from a crack overdose in 1994.

Viola Beach (13 Feb 2016): Young British band Viola Beach plunged to their deaths by driving off an open bridge in Sweden on Saturday. The band was in the country on their first (and last) overseas gig took place last Friday at the Where’s the Music? festival in Norrköping, Sweden. Four band members, plus their manager died: Kristian Leonard, 20; River Reeves, 19; Tomas Lowe, 27, Jack Dakin, 19; Craig Tarry, 32.

Shan Johnson (06 Feb 2016): The singer-turned-music composer died on Saturday to cardiac arrest, she was 29. She was in the process of recording several songs, right up to her unexpected death.

Valleys (05 Feb 2016): Mikey Clement died in a car accident at the age of 23 on the morning of February 5th. The official statement mentioned that they had to cancel their February 10th show, but will go ahead with their planned album release party for Experiment One: Asylum.

Earth, Wind and Fire (04 Feb 2016): Founding band member Maurice White died in his sleep after a long battle with Parkinson's disease at his home in Los Angeles, at the age of 74.

Sense Field (01 Feb 2016): Frontman Jon Bunch passed away on Sunday, at the age of 45. His family does not know how he died. Bunch was in numerous bands, including Reason To Believe/Sense Field and Further Seems Forever, and War Generation and Lucky Scars. Read the official press release at news.weheartmusic.com.

Sqeezer (01 Feb 2016): The most terrifying death so far is the murder of Jim Reeves, of the German pop trio Sqeezer (who had two top 20 German hit singles in the late 90s). He was 47.

We have just learned that Black (real name Colin Vearncombe) has recently died at the age of 53 on January 26th (today). He was previously placed in a medically-induced coma at the intensive care unit of Cork University Hospital
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The current Jefferson Starship (from the ashes of Jefferson Airplane) is led by co-founder Paul Kantner... and not to be confused with Starship (Mickey Thomas) ...
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Jefferson Airplane (28 Jan 2016): Paul Kantner, from Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship, has died at the age of 74 as a result of “multiple organ failure and septic shock”. Jefferson Starship was still fresh on our mind because of their upcoming show with Blue Oyster Cult at Medina Entertainment Center (the venue also previously booked Scott Weiland, who died in the Minnesota area in December 2015).

Black (26 Jan 2016): We have just learned that Black (real name Colin Vearncombe) has recently died at the age of 53 on January 26th. He was previously placed in a medically-induced coma at the intensive care unit of Cork University Hospital after being involved in a car accident on January 12th in Ireland.

The Eagles (18 Jan 2016): Founder Glenn Frey passed away on January 18th. We first heard about it on social media and TMZ, but the band (including Don Henley) made it official and issued the statement on eagles.com.

David Bowie (10 Jan 2016): I woke up to the sad news that legendary singer, songwriter, actor, space traveling alien from another planet, David Bowie, has died.

Bowie was still fresh in our minds as we talked about the unexpected release of his latest album Blackstar on his birthday (January 8) on a recent Podcast... but we had no idea of his health situation.

Backroad Anthem (04 Jan 2016): The most shocking death so far in this first week is country singer Craig Strickland and his buddy Chase Morland was killed while on a duck hunt on December 27th, 2015. There was a massive storm that caused their boat to capsized and, based on finding Morland's body in the river, they think he immediately drowned. Strickland, on the other hand, was able to swim to shore... only to later expire due to extreme weather exposure.